Radio station selector



Oct- 30 1951 L. BIAMONTE RADIO STATION SELECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheer. l

Filed Sept; 2, 1947 mm a IZ B s .7V u Y O B L @fu mum, m @W 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 n nu uuml @wmf R O T m. E E H m. T m n m. w N Mnl@ M l. A o I DH w g m VWK U L m m mn u R 1 1ST s R 7 mw BN l. Q\ m l 9 2 1 m. w w L/ u d f .u m FQ O u Oct. 30, 1951 l.. BIAMQNTE RADIO STATION SELECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 y, m. w w mw w ,m E 5 .Z u o L 4/ afl Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RADIO STATION SELECTOR Louis Biamonte, Waterbury, Conn.

Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,613

12 Claims. l

This invention relates to radio timers, and more particularly to a device for automatically controlling a radio receiving set as to both the stations to be heard and the time of operation.

One object of this invention is to provide a device of the above nature which includes a series of independently adjustable contact selector iingers, which will control the operation of the radio receiver during successive periods of the day.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature in which each. of the selector ngers may be manually adjusted to selectively render any one of a plurality of pretuned radio circuits operative, or to render all of said. circuits inoperative.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature. in which the operating radio circuit will be advanced successively from one contact 'nger to the next by a time controlled mech anism, whereby each nger will control the radio receiver during a delinite period of the day.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which will include a time-controlied mechanism for switching the operating radio circuit from one contact nger to another with a snap action, whereby there will be no substantial interruption in the operation of the radio receiver.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature, which includes a carriage movable at a uniform time rate for advancing the operating radio circuit along the series of Contact fingers-said carriage also being manually mov,- ab'le, and carrying adjusting means, whereby any or all of said lingers may be manually adjusted to substitute one of the pretuned circuits for another for operation at any period of the day.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature including a time scale which will indicate the time of dayr while the timer is in operation, and which will indicate the time of the period being adjusted during manual adjustment of the contact selector fingers.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which includes a screen for visually indicating the. station to which each respective contact iinger is adjusted during the setting up operation, in order to assist the operator in obtaining the correct station.

A further object is to provide a device of 'the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance,

and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in View, there 21 has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved radio selector shown partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, shown partly broken away, and with the upper wall portions in section.

Fig. 3 is an end view showing the selector shaft, the drive screw, and their interlocking mechan nisms.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View of the interior mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an end View of the same.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front View of the interior mechanism, showing the switch arm in dotted lines.

Fig. '7 is a diagram showing the manner in which the selector ngers are moved by the adjusting plate to connect the desired circuits in a radio receiver.`

Fig. 8 is a View of a portion of the time scale.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral IQ indicates an elongated cabinet having transverse partitions II, I2, which serve as supports for the working parts to be described, and which form a motor compartment I3, a switch compartment I4, and an indicator compartment I5.

The switch compartment I4 is of a length sufricient to receive an elongated concave contact panel I6 mounted on the bottom thereof, as by screws Il, said panel I6 being formed of an insulating material, such as polystyrene plastic, and having embedded therein a transverse series of spaced longitudinal bus bars I8, I9, 20, 2i, 22, 23, 24 (Fig. 5). Each of the bus bars I24 is formed with a series of upstanding contact lugs 25 so arranged that the lugs of the respective bus bars form arcuate rows 26 extending transversely of the contact panel I5.

rThe panel I6 and the rows of lugs 26 are concentric with a shaft 21 which is mounted in the transverse partitions II, I2 and which carries a series of depending swingable station selector contact iingers 28, each disposed above one of the r-ows 25, and adapted to contact selectively any one of the lugs 25 in said row. The Contact fingers 28 include apertured circular portions 2S, embracing the shaft 21 and insulated from said shaft and from each other by interposed insulating washers 3Q which frictionally resist swinging of the fingers 28 on the shaft 21.

Integral with each of the contact ngers 28 is a rearwardly-extending arm 3l adapted for engagement by a finger-adjusting mechanism to be described hereinafter.

As a provision for extending the operating radio circuit through one of the fingers 28 at a time, the upper contact end 32 of an insulated spring contact finger 33 is adapted to be moved longitudinally of the series of fingers 28, whereby electrical contact will be established between said upper contact end 32 and each of the circular portions 23 of the fingers 28 in succession.

The lower end of the spring linger 33 is swingably mounted upon a travelling carriage 34 by means of an insulating switch arm 35 pivotally secured by a screw 36 at its lower end to said carriage 34.

The carriage 36 is mounted for sliding movement longitudinally of the series of contact fingers 28 by means of a horizontal upper support rod 31 and a lower support rod 38 secured at their ends to the transverse partitions'l I, I2 above the forward portion of the panel I6, and slidably supporting the carriage 34 by means of parallel horizontal bores 39, 46 therein.

Means is provided to slide the carriage 34 upon the rods 3l, 38 to bring the spring finger 33 successively into contact with the different contact fingers 28 at periodic intervals of time, said means comprising a constant-speed motor M mounted in the compartment I3, and a drive screw 4I adapted to move the carriage 34 longitudinally of the series of fingers 28 at a uniform rate.

A pointer lla is mounted on the front portion of the carriage 36, whereby the position of the carriage will be indicated upon a graduated transparent time scale 6 Ib mounted in the front wall of the cabinet Il). Y

The drive screw llll is rotatably mounted in the partitions II, I2 parallel to and between the upper and lower rods 31, 38, and is adapted to be driven from the motor M through a gear 42 and a drive pinion 63. The screw 4I is extended through the transverse partition I I into the motor compartment I3 in the form of a cylindrical stud 44 having a key l5 thereon, the gear 42 being xed upon a slidable gear shaft A6 having a socket 41 at its inner end, whereby the shaft 46 slidably ,embraces the stud I4 and the key 45. It will thus be seen that the slidable gear shaft 56 may be moved lcngitudinally upon the stud d4, whereby the gear 42 and the drive pinion 43 may be selectively meshed to afford a driving connection between the motor M and the drive screw 4I or may be disengaged to permit manual setting of the screw AI and carriage 34 thereon, by means of a carriage setting knob 68 upon the outer end of the gear shaft 46.

Outward movement of the shaft 46 upon the stud 43 is limited by an enlarged screw 48 in the end the stud 4d adapted to engage a shoulder 58 in the socket dl, and inward movement thereof is limited by engagement of the shaft 66 with the side of a drive screw cam 5I to be K further described.

The drive screw 6I is engaged in aligned threaded bores 52, 53 (Fig. 6) in the carriage 34 and passes through a parallel-sided cavity 55 intermediate said bores. The pitch of the drive screw I is such that one revolution of the screw will advance the carriage and the spring Ycontact nger 33 thereon ardistance equal to the spacing of the successive contact selector fingers 28.

uIn order to produce a snap-action of the spring linger 33 from one selector linger 28 to the next during the uniform slow rotation of the drive screw di, the switch arm 35, upon which the spring linger 33 is mounted, is urged in the direction of carriage travel (i. e. to the right), by a small coil spring 55 (Fig. 6). The upper end 0f the switch arm 35 carries a projection 56 following in the groove 5l of a worm section 58 mounted on the drive screw lil within the cavity 54, whereby the worm section 58 will hold the switch arm 35 against the force of the spring 55.

It will be observed that the drive screw 4I has a right hand thread, while the worm section 58 has a left hand thread of the same pitch. Moreover, the screw II is provided with a keyway 53 to which the worm section 58 is splined, whereby the latter will be constrained to rotate with the screw 4I while being slid longitudinally thereof in the cavity 513 of the carriage 34.

This construction will result in the upper contact end 32 of the spring nger 33 and the projection 56 of the switch arm 35, being held stationary for limited times during the movement of the carriage 36. However, a lateral slot 68 (Fig. l), which is formed across the thread of the worm section 58 at a central point, will permit the projection 56 to snap forwardly under the influence of the spring 55 once in each revolution of the worm section 58, whereby the contact end 32 will always remain in stationary engagement with one of the circular portions 29 4of the fingers 28, excepting at periodic intervals when said contact end 32 will quickly shift its contact to the next circular portion 23.

In order to place 'the station selector in condition to receive the particular radio programs selected by the user, each of the contact fingers 28 must be adjusted to engage with one particular lug 25 in each row 26.

In order to accomplish this result, provision is made of a selector shaft 6I, rotatably mounted in the partitions Il, I2 and passing through the switch compartment I4 and the indicator compartment I5 in parallel relation to the shaft 2l, the upper and lower rods 3l, 38, and the drive screw 4I. The selector shaft 6I is provided with an exterior station hand knob 62 at the right slidably received in aligned circular bores 64, 65

in rearwardly extending arms 66, 61 of the Carriage 34.

Confined between the arms 66, 61 and slidable therewith upon the square section 63, is a selector nger adjusting forked plate 63 provided with forwardly extending spaced upper and lower lugs 69, 'I6 which are adapted to contact the upper and lower sides respectively, of the rearwardlyextending arms 3l of the fingers 28, whereby said ngers 28 may be shifted to contact any desired lug 25. The aperture of the adjusting plate 68 is square whereby it will be rocked with the shaft 6I.

The station-adjusting plate 66 is normally held in a neutral position by mechanism connected with the shaft 6I within the motor compartment I3, including an interlock disc 'II secured to the selector shaft 6I and having an eccentric stud l2 engaged in a spring centering device 'I3 mounted upon the partition II by means of a clamp '14, said centering device 'I3 contacting the opposite sides of said stud l2.

A stationary locating pin I5 controls the action of the centering device 73, and a limit pin 15a engages in a circumferential slot b in the interlock disc 1| to limit the movement of said disk. Inasmuch as the adjusting plate E8 will' not be in operation during normal motor-driven movement of the carriage 34, the lugs 69 and lil thereof are spaced apart sufliciently to clear the rearwardly-extending arms 3l when the adjusting plate 68 is in its neutral position, regardless of the positions of said arms.

In order to prevent improper operation of the carriage-setting knob 48 and the station selector knob 62 which might result in damage to the timer mechanism, the adjusting plate B8 normally is held positively in its neutral position by one end of an interlock slider 16 which is slidably mounted upon the partition II by a horizontal guide 16a, said slider being urged against the periphery of the interlock disk 1l and a recess 11 therein by a coil spring 18.

The opposite end of the interlock slider 16 carries a roller 19 which rides upon the circular periphery of the drive screw cam 5|, thereby insuring that the interlock slider 1E will always be engaged in the recess 11 during rotation of the drive screw 4|.

A recess 80 in the drive screw cam. 5| will permit the interlock slider 16 to yield to allow rotation of the interlock disk 1l and the selector shalt 6|, but will insure that the drive screw il! and the carriage 34 thereon are held stationary during this operation, since the roller 19 will then engage the recess 80 to prevent rotation of the cam 5I.

Referring now to Fig. 2, an arcuate transparency 8l is mounted upon the selector shaft y.,

6l within the indicator compartment l5 by means of a pair of radially-extending bracket arms 82. A stationary lamp 83 having a U-shaped reflector 84 behind it will illuminate the transparency 8l in order to project one of a plurality of station t indicia 85 thereof through a lens 86 to a station screen 31 located on the front of the cabinet l0. The station indicia B5 will consist of the call letlters of the various radio sending stations to which the circuits of the respective bus bars l9-24 are tuned. The parts are so proportioned that when the lower lug 1li of the adjusting plate 68 is in engagement with one of the rearwardly extending arms 3l (which will occur when the selector knob 62 is being turned away from the operator),

the station indicia 35 will be accurately positioned to project the proper call letters upon the screen 81, thereby indicating the station circuit with which the corresponding linger 28 is engaged.

Operation In operation, the improved station selector will be connected to a radio receiver R, diagrammatically shown in Fig. '7, of the type having a plurality of electrically selective pretuned radio frequency circuits which have respective terminals I9 to 24', inclusive, and which are normally operable by means of push buttons.

The instant invention will supplant the push buttons for normal operation, however, and each of the pretuned circuit terminals I9 to 25 will be connected to one of the respective bus bars I 9-24, the circuits being completed through a connection between the spring contact lnger 33 and a terminal 33 of the receiver.

It will be noted that the bus bar i8 is unconnected to any circuit, thus providing a neutral or dead position for the lingers 28. The electrical connections between the station selector and the radio receiver R having been made, the

operator will proceed to adjust the contact lingers 28 tov produce any desired program.

The apparatus is preferably designed so that the traveling carriage 34" will shift the operating circuit to the .next nger 28 at the end of each lli-minute period-this being a time unit upon which radio programs are conventionally based. Thus, each linger 28 will control the radior receiver for 15 minutes, the program received being dependent upon whichever bus bar is contacted by said! linger through one of the lugs 25.

The operator will employ the knob 62 at the right hand end of the cabinet l0 to swing the adjusting plate 68 upon the shaft 6l to move the fingers 28. Each linger 28 will preferablyV be swung lirst to the neutral positionthat is to contact the lug upon the forward bus' bar i8, whereupon a reverse movement of the adjusting plate 68 will bring the nger 28 into contact with the desi-red bus bar the station circuit connected therewith being indicated upon the screen 81 at the same. time.

This operation will be repeated for each finger 2li-the lcarriage 34 and the adjusting plate S8 being broughtv into position opposite each linger successively by the knob 48.

The pointer 41a upon the carriagel 34 will at all times give an indication upon the time scale Alb to inform the operator as to the exact position of the carriage.

It will be found convenient during the adjusting operation for the operator to grasp the knobs 43 and 52 in his left and right hands respectively so that he may control the time setting with one hand and the station setting with the other. The interlock slider 16, however, will prevent both knobs from being turned simultaneously-thereby preventing damage to the mechanism.

As shown in Fig. l, the time scale lib is graduated to cover a span of 18 hours-that is rom 6:00 a. m. to 12:00 midnight. The station selector may be paced in operation at any timo within this span, the carriage lirst being set so that the pointer will indicate the time of starting-the knob 4S will then be pushed inwardly to engage the gear 42 with the pinion 43 whereupon the constant speed motor M will propel the carriage 34 at a constant rate of speed.

The spring contact linger 33 will then be automatically shifted successively from one contact selector linger 28 to the next at 15 minute intervals, as long as the apparatus is in operation, so that the preselected programs will be heard in succession through the radio receiver R.

While there has been disclosed in this speci'- cation one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specic disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing `from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a radio station selector, a plurality of conductors each adapted for connection to a different pretuned radio circuit, a series of spaced insulated fingers, each adjustable to selectively contact any one of said conductors, a spring contact member, mechanism movably supporting said spring contact member for selecting contact with any one of said lingers, and constant speed means for operating said mechanism to move said spring contact member successively from one of said ngers to the neXt, whereby an operating radio circuit may be shifted at periodic intervals from one of said fingers to the next, and through the conductor to which each respective linger is adjusted.

2. In a radio station selector, a cabinet containing an elongated concave contact panel, a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending bus bars secured to said panel, said bus bars being provided with upstanding contact lugs disposed in transverse rows, a series of swingable selector fingers, each mounted adjacent one of said rows, and adapted to selectively contact any one of the lugs in the row, and means movable longitudinally of said series of lingers for selectively contacting any one of said lingers.

3. The invention as deiined in claim 2, in which said longitudinally movable means comprises a swingable contact linger upon a carriage, and including a screw for moving said carriage, a constant speed motor, and a driving connection between said motor and said screw, said longitudinally movable means also comprising mechanism for swinging said contact linger with a step-bystep movement from one selector linger to the next during operation of said screw.

4. The invention as delined in claim 3, in which said driving connection includes a pair of manually disengageable elements, whereby said screw may be disconnected from said motor for manual operation of the screw.

5. In a radio station selector, a cabinet mounting an aligned series of selector lingers, a carriage movable longitudinally of said series, and carrying a relatively movable spring contact member adapted to contact said fingers one at a time, screw means engaged with said carriage for moving it, and worm and spring means on said carriage connected to said contact member for effecting step-by-step movement of said member from one selector linger to the next during movement of the carriage.

6. In a radio station selector, a cabinet containing an elongated concave contact panel, a plurality of parallel longitudinally-extending bus bars embedded in said panel, said bus bars being provided with upstanding contact lugs disposed in transverse rows, a series of swingable selector lingers each mounted adjacent to one of said rows, and adapted to selectively contact any one of the lugs in its respective row, means movable longitudinally of said series of ngers including a contact linger for selectively contacting any one of said selector lingers, said longitudinally movable means including an adjusting plate having lugs adapted to selectively move any one of said selector lingers for establishing electrical contact between said selector linger and any one of said bus bars, and a shaft mounted in said cabinet for operating said adjusting plate.

7. 'I'he invention delined in claim 6 .in which said shaft carries a station indicator means,

whereby contact between each linger and the respective bus bar lugs may be visually determined.

8. The invention delined in claim 7, in which said longitudinally-movable means carries a time indicator device, whereby contacts between said v longitudinally movable means and the respective selector lingers may be visually determined.4

9. In a radio station selector, a cabinet containing an elongated concave contact panel, a plurality of parallel longitudinally-extending bus bars embedded in said panel, said bus bars being provided with upstanding contact lugs disposed in transverse rows, a series of swingable selector lingers, each mounted adjacent one of said rows and adapted to selectively contact any one of the lugs in its respective row, a carriage movable longitudinally of said series of lingers for selectively contacting any one of said fingers, said carriage including an adjusting plate having lugs adapted to selectively move any one of 'said lingers for establishing electrical contact between said linger and any one of said bus bars, a shaft mounted in said cabinet for operating said adjusting plate, screw means for moving said carriage, and interlocking mechanism for preventing simultaneous rotation of y said shalt and said screw means.

10. In a radio station selector, a series of insulated selector lingers swingably mounted upon a shaft, a row of contact lugs mounted adjacent each linger, for selective contact thereby, a carriage, means mounting said carriage for sliding movement parallel to said series of lingers, said carriage being provided with a spring contact linger adapted to engage said selector lingers, and an adjusting plate having lugs adapted to engage said selector lingers for moving them over the contact lugs in the respective rows.

11. The invention as delined in claim 10, including means for sliding said carriage at a uniform speed, and mechanism for periodically retarding movement of said spring contact linger with respect to said carriage, whereby said contact finger will engage each successive selector linger with a snap action.

12. The invention as defined in claim 10 including means for sliding said carriage at a uniform speed, and means for sliding said carriage manually, said adjusting plate being of a width to engage one of said selector lingers at a time, whereby each selector linger may be adjusted by said adjusting plate, when said carriage is manually moved to a position adjacent said one selector finger.

LOUIS BIAMONTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,177,479 De 'I'ar Oct. 24, 1939 2,403,454 Owens July 9, 1946 2,410,724 Elliott Nov. 5, 1946 

